it was as if winter
beak, dry
with its pale sky
and its silence
was here
but it is summer
with its heat
marking everything with its name
spring: a fairy tale
once upon a time
the time it was
last year
and each year
before that
the sky
fell
as predicted
its luscious blue caught
in branches
where
blooming white clouds
had gathered
however
this year. . .
a forever is a fearful maybe
has been predicted
the almost blue sky falls again
into
brittle
white
trees
water of life
in honor of those who were at standing rock
out of baptism of desire of fire by fire
we gather
the only weapons our words our bodies
chanting
enough!
no more!
we, the First Peoples
our presence says
not here not now not ever
we stand in the memory
of slaughter, of treaties broken like glass
of tears, our children stolen like our land
our past a river flowing to this sacred time
we say again
we stand
enough
no more
Sister Lou Ella is a certified spiritual director whose poems and articles have appeared in numerous magazines and journals as well as three anthologies. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017. Her first book of poetry entitled she: robed and wordless was published in 2015. (Press 53)